The TARDIS Blue Envelope
by AvenJackel
Summary: Because there was always someone the Doctor trusted even more then himself. Rose/Doctor. Rated for my paranoia. Set during The Impossible Astronaut. On hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who...sadly...If I did though, Rose would definitely not have been sent off with the Metacrisis Doctor...**

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He knew it was hopeless. How incredibly much he knew it was. But, for some reason, he just couldn't stop himself from addressing the card. He just couldn't stop his hearts from hoping being hope itself.

Of course, there was the small fact that the invitation would have to go through extreme lengths just to _**get**_ there. And even on the entirely miniscule chance that it _**did**_ arrive at the right place, right time, there was still no assurance that his plan would actually work for him.

And then, if his plan _**did**_ work for once, for we all knew that the Doctor was indeed not the best planner, then it would mean having to deal with jealousy and confusion, and maybe even more heartbreak for several days while his past self had little to no idea about what was going on either.

But, nevertheless, here he was, on the TARDIS, flying through time and space, trying in vain to send his card.

He was still uncertain if a card was enough.

It had been years, a decade or two even, since he had last been there. He wasn't sure how long it had been there, but surely it didn't matter. Would an invitation really be enough?

No, of course it wouldn't be.

He'd need to send a letter as well.

What he would put in the letter, he had no clue. He didn't want to ramble in it, but at the same time he did. It seemed like such a long time since he had had a good, long ramble. And, quite frankly, being the genius he believed he was, rambling was such a great outlet for one with so much stuff to think about.

Granted, hardly anyone even listened to his rants and ramblings anyway.

That was beside the point. He had work to do, people and planets to save, and a letter to write.

Sighing, he collapsed on the jump-seat. It felt harder and more metallic than he had remembered. The TARDIS supplied him with a blue paper, matching that of the envelope, and a silver pen which would be sure to stand out.

So, there sat the Doctor, lost in all those thoughts of his. He didn't know what sort of information he could put in the letter, but none of that mattered.

He ended up writing about anything and everything possible. How he now wore bow ties, and fezzes, and Stetsons, and even a tweed jacket, and especially how all those things were cool. Everything he could think about, about the Ponds, and the impossible River Song, and how he loved River, but not in the way that it may have appeared, and how his sexy TARDIS had gotten a makeover on the inside. All his latest adventures, and even what had happened to all his past companions.

He poured his entire eleventh self into that letter. And felt much better after doing so.

Apparently, rambling was good for the soul.

Leaning back and admiring his work, the Doctor ran a hand through his hair like he had done so often in his past self.

"Well now, sexy," the Doctor stood up and stroked the consul. "Let's find a way to send this off and on its way."

The TARDIS hummed in anticipation, anxiously waiting for the chance to see the receiver of the letter.

With some surprisingly gentle screeching and minimal thrashing, the Doctor and his blue box found their way to the orbit of a sun about ready to supernova.

Being here, he felt such nostalgia, and deep, forgotten-but-never-truly-gone sadness. It was just like last time, except now he was saying hello, not goodbye.

And this time he knew there was going to be no reply.

One last detail was added to his letter, signing _The Doctor_ at the bottom. On a spur of the moment thing, he added under that _The Stuff of Legends_. Just for good measure, he told himself.

Sealing both the letter and the invitation in the blue envelope, he stuck lots of different stamps from all over on the back. He picked up the silver pen and wrote a single zero on the front of the letter.

"One last chance," he nodded to himself. "Let's do this, old girl," he stroked the consul once more.

He stuck the blue envelope in a slot on the TARDIS and pulled a single lever. It was incredibly dangerous, doing what he was, but with all of time about ready to collapse, could he not just give himself this single bit of selfishness?

And shivers ran down his spine as a hole between universes ripped open, allowing the single letter to float through, and automatically closing itself back up.

There, he had done it. That letter was on its way to someone the Doctor wouldn't even _**allow**_ himself to dream about ever seeing again. Because it all hurt too much. Because the world was just too unfair.

Because he loved Rose Tyler.

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**So, I hope you guys all liked it!**

** Please review!**

** ~AvenJackel**


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own anything.**

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It had taken years, decades even, for something to fall through the rift. It was something terrible, something awful, and something oddly endearing.

It was a letter. Not only was it a letter, but it was a TARDIS blue letter.

No one dared open it. No one touched anything that fell through the rift. _**Especially**_ not TARDIS blue letters.

The first response team found out within moments, but it would take them a few hours to reach the rift. Of course, the director came as well.

The director of Torchwood was someone who was compassionate, yet extremely hard-headed, and never backed down from a fight if she knew it was right. She had been around for more years than any workers could remember. Some of the veterans knew the director from years ago, when most of the family was still alive and what not, but many found her to be an utter mystery.

Of course, the director _**was**_ an utter mystery. Not even she knew what was actually going on within herself, but she had a small inkling about it all. She knew that the game she was playing at was downright dangerous.

This director's name was Rose Marion Tyler.

And she was the sort of woman that could put everyone around her to shame. Especially after working as Torchwood director for over five decades, and with a total of sixty-seven years of experience with aliens behind her.

"Let's go," she ordered, striding briskly out onto the roof of the Torchwood building towards their personal hovercraft.

Behind her flowed out some of the best men and women in the faculty. All of them were anxious, nearly vibrating with the energy that pulsed out of them.

But none of them were nearly as excited as Director Tyler. She had been waiting years for this chance. She had gone through countless, never-ending days trying to figure out a way through the rift. None of it had resulted in much. The vortex canon still lay broken and useless in Torchwood's basement, new developments were few and far between, and no way of making it into another dimension could be seen.

She still had to hope though, because she knew that without hope, there was nothing left.

"Time to get the show on the road," she smiled towards her companions.

And, for once in such a long time, it was a genuine smile, one that shone brighter than dazzling stars, one that lit up the faces of those around her.

One with her tongue poking out of her teeth.

Daniel, a young engineer working for the development wing, took the pilot's seat beside Rose.

"We should be to the rift in three hours, Director Tyler," Daniel informed quietly, setting the hovercraft up for flight and taking off.

"I know you're new to this an' all, but no need for all the formalities," Director Tyler grimaced playfully. "Just call me Rose," she grinned softly towards the young engineer. "Or, if you insist, you can call me Miss Tyler," she rolled her eyes.

Daniel's eyes widened slightly. He had been raised in an old-fashioned family. To them, you never called your boss by their first name, as it was a sign of disrespect.

"Seems like Rose is in a good mood today," one of the team members called cheerfully from the back of the hovercraft.

"An' when Rose is happy," another one started.

"We're all relieved," everyone intoned as if it was an everyday thing.

"Oi you lot," Rose looked over her shoulder. "Don't make me come back there!" she warned kiddingly.

But it was true. When she was in a good mood, everyone seemed to let out a breath they didn't know they had been holding in. It was like the entire world could breathe again.

But when Rose Tyler was in a bad mood, that all went to hell. It was completely hectic, trying to calm her down was a miracle in itself, especially when it came to protecting the Earth.

Luckily she was only in a bad mood during exceptionally dire situations. Most of the time, Rose Tyler took on a neutral working relationship with her workers. She always wanted to get close to them, to know what was going on and how their families were.

At the same time, she kept her distance, hanging back in fear of losing more people she loved.

So that's how the Doctor had always felt.

Just thinking about him scorched through Rose's heart, leaving a savage, burning hole right in the middle. She always tried to distract herself from the fact that the probability of finding him..._**again**_...was smaller than small. Truly, it was a hard feat to block that out, but, over time, she had either gotten better at it, or she was just oblivious to the pain of it all.

It was harder to determine than anyone might realize.

For the rest of the hovercraft flight, the team worked on monitoring the rift for any more signs of breaks, trying to reason what had fallen through, and staring out of the limited windows from sheer boredom.

And for one certain Torchwood director, it was all about finding out ways to reopen the rift and go back through.

_**Without**_ ripping apart all of time and space. Now _**that**_ was the hard part.

After three hours, the Torchwood team landed near where the rift activity had been. Once Rose Tyler stepped off, melancholy and nostalgia swept over her, mingling irritably with the grainy specks of beach sand.

Here she was, at the rift, where all those years ago, the worst days of her life had taken place. Maybe that was a bit of an overkill. The _**worst**_ days of her life had been much more recent, yet, at the same time, felt like they were centuries ago. But the days on this beach certainly came in a close second.

Rose Tyler was on Darlig Ulv Stranden, more commonly known as Bad Wolf Bay.

It really was a small world, wasn't it?

The rest of the Torchwood team appeared uncomfortable. They didn't know the details of what had happened here, but they understood it was never the nicest thing to return to.

Without any more hesitation, Director Tyler set off, rift locator in hand. Behind her, the Torchwood team panned out, looking for anything mysterious or out of place on the coarse sand of the beach.

Soon Rose Tyler was standing right where she had stood sixty-four years ago. She was standing right where the Doctor had appeared as a hologram from the TARDIS, where the Doctor left her and his meta-crisis behind.

A single, salty tear spilled over her eye, trailing down her still soft cheeks. She quickly brushed it away. Now was not the time to fall completely apart.

Lost in her long-ago memories, she looked down at her trainer clad feet. Even after joining Torchwood, and eventually becoming the director, she had still refused to wear any form of boots. She had insisted that trainers were the best footwear for running, especially running from aliens.

Right by her foot, there was a half-buried tuft of blue paper sticking out of the sand. Instantly intrigued, and admittedly delighted at the very color of the object, she kneeled down and carefully grabbed it, pulling out a single TARDIS blue envelope from the dusty sand.

She examined it over. There were several interesting stamps on the back, ranging from multicolored elephants to moving pictures of exploding stars. On the front, there was a single zero scrawled out in silver pen. It was obvious to Rose that the letter was indeed from someone special.

And definitely _**to**_ someone special.

The thought of calling over the others flickered through her head, but she _**was**_ the director, and therefore it was technically her job to look through things like this first.

So she flicked open the sealed envelope and pulled out a TARDIS blue letter, short, rapidly written words printed by the same silver ink. Her eyes quickly skimmed the letter, before rushing up to the top.

_Dear Rose,_ it read.

That was all she needed. A TARDIS blue envelope, falling through a rift, written to her? How likely was _**that**_?

So, of course it was him.

And that settled it all.

"Looks like it's time to go home," she murmured to herself, gazing teary-eyed at the paper. "Allons-y."

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** Holy crap I had so much fun writing this chappie!**

** Thanks a million, billion for reading!**

** And please review!**

** ~AvenJackel**


	3. Chapter 3

_Dear Rose,_

_ It really has felt like forever since I last saw you. At least it has for me, but what about for you? How is Handy? And Pete? What about Tony? Or even Jackie?_

_ But, most importantly, how are you, Rose?_

_ I regenerated again. New, new, new Doctor. Had a bit of a nasty run-in with the Time Lords and the Master. They all ended up returning, and apparently they were evil. So I had to stop them. Then Wilfred, Donna's granddad, was in trouble, so I had to absorb lots of radiation. It killed me._

_ Of course, I couldn't go without saying goodbye. I've done that too much in my past, and really, what sort of guy would leave anyone without a goodbye?_

_ So, I went to say goodbye to Donna, Martha, Mickey, Jack, even you. You probably won't remember, but it was New Year's Day the year I first met you. I was that bloke that had had too much to drink or something._

_ I had wanted to see you one last time._

_ And then I went from big hair and trench coats, to bow ties and tweed jackets. Now don't make that face, Rose Tyler. Bowties are cool. Almost as cool as Stetsons, and nearly as cool as fezzes, but bow ties definitely take the ball. And I'm still not ginger. Oh, and I eat fish fingers and custard now. Don't knock it till you try it. Although bananas are still great, especially the ones we had back on Velups Twenty-Three!_

_ Anyhow, enough about me!_

_ Jack's off doing whatever Rassilon knows and Rickey the idiot and Martha got married. Donna's story isn't as happy, though. It was killing her, Rose. The mind of a Time Lord was killing her. I had to take her memories of me, all of them. It was like I never existed to her._

_ After I regenerated, all the radiation destroyed the TARDIS consul. The old girl had to completely rearrange herself. No more coral struts, now it's all metal grating and what not. Now she's entirely sexy. But your room's still there! And still entirely pink. I couldn't get rid of it. Well, actually the old girl refused to get rid of it, she insisted that it stay where it is, and every time I tried to argue, I got nothing but a shock in reply._

_ And then I met my new companions!_

_ You would love them, Rose. Truly you would._

_ I crashed in Amelia Pond's flowerbed when she was only eight-years-old. There was this crack in her wall, a crack that opened to a different universe. For a second, I allowed myself to think of you. But it had to be sealed. After that, I left Amelia to repair the TARDIS. I promised her that I'd be back in a few minutes._

_ I took years to return. Never did have good timing, did I? Like that one time when I thought it had been one day, but in reality it had been an entire year._

_ By the way, my cheek still hurts from that Tyler Slap._

_ When I got back, Amelia, the amazing ginger she is, was about to be married to Rory Williams. I ended up taking her with me anyway, and eventually even Rory joined us. We traveled many places. There were Star Whales, fascinating creatures. You would have loved them. It carried an entire city on its back. Then there were more Daleks, and Weeping Angels, even Vampires in Venice! We had to face a Dream Lord, then the Silurians, and we even met Van Gogh. The worst part was when the TARDIS dematerialized without me, leaving me in Colchester. I had to live the domestics._

_ It would have been much better with two._

_ Turns out there were cracks all throughout the universe. And every one of them was caused by the TARDIS exploding! Image that, my sexy time traveling device just going and exploding on me like that! I had to go and reboot the universe itself to stop all the cracks from splintering and destroying everything._

_ That ended up wiping me from existence. But Amelia Pond remembered me, and there I was again!_

_ Rory isn't as feisty as Amelia, but he's downright strong. Able to keep his woman to himself with someone like me around isn't all that easy._

_ I had trouble enough with you and all those pretty boys though._

_ But Rory Pond is tough, he's been killed and wiped from existence, then forced to wait centuries by the Pandorica, which Amy was trapped in, when he was known as the Last Centurion. It's truly a long story._

_ And then there's River Song._

_ She's a complete mystery! The first time I met her is the last time she met me. We keep meeting up in different orders. River is a time traveler too, and she's always showing up out of nowhere calling "Hello Sweetie."_

_ But it isn't like that, Rose._

_ It could never be like that._

_ And now I come to my present. A lot of crazy things, even for us, are going to go on if you come back. Not saying that I don't want you to come back, but __**if**__ you do, it will be completely chaotic._

_ Not because of you, though._

_ There are monsters after me, Rose. They want to kill me. For good. No new, new, new, new Doctor. My death is a fixed point in time. I can't change it._

_ But don't worry. I have a brilliant idea that only someone such as myself could have come up with!_

_ If you come to the time, date, and place specified, you will see a version of me that is younger than I am while writing this. He won't understand what's going on either._

_ He needs his friends to be there for him._

_ He needs you to be there for him._

_ Everything can, and will, be explained...eventually._

_**The Doctor**_

_** The Stuff of Legends**_

_P.S. The TARDIS wanted me to tell you that she misses you._

That had been the twentieth time Rose Tyler had read that letter. Every time, she found something new, hiding underneath all the words. Even in writing the Doctor covered his emotions with rambling.

She was sitting at her Torchwood desk, a single candle lighting up the paper before her. From here, Rose had poured over countless documents, reports, and studies. With no one to go home to, this office had become the place where she could do anything required. Most nights, she stayed there until one. But nights like this, Rose stayed at Torchwood until three am.

Sighing, she leaned back in her chair and rubbed her hands over her face. How she longed to get back to her own universe. It wasn't going to be that easy though, of course not. It was never that easy.

"We have new readings on the rift at least," she murmured to herself, directing her gold-tinted brown eyes up at the ceiling. "But we're going to need a dimensional canon, and a vortex stabilizer," she reasoned.

"Guess I'll have to wait till mornin' for everyone to show up, though," she continued, standing up and collecting the letter as well as any important documents.

Blowing out the candle, Rose exited the office, making sure to lock it up behind her, and headed back to her apartment. She only lived two blocks away, mostly so she could race back to the building on a moment's notice.

She no longer needed a whole lot of sleep, and most of the time she only got about four hours. But, oddly enough, her lack of sleep hardly ever made her tired, in fact, normally she was bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Returning to the apartment wasn't much of a relief. It was dark, silent, and scarcely furnished. Minimal amounts of food, a tiny kitchen, no t.v. and a single bed remained there. After Pete and Jackie had died, Tony had insisted that Rose stay at the mansion with him, but she wanted a place of her own, closer to the office.

And once Tony died on a Torchwood mission, Rose couldn't bring herself to return. That mansion had had too many memories. It all hurt too much.

Without even changing into her sleepwear, she collapsed on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. What with everything going on all of a sudden, it would be impossible for her to get to sleep.

She had realized why the Doctor was always running around when everyone else was trying to rest.

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**Please, please, please review!**

** ~AvenJackel**


	4. Chapter 4

** I don't own anything!**

**Please review!**

** ~AvenJackel**

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Today was the day. Finally, after too many years, Torchwood Director Rose Tyler was going home.

At least, that was the plan.

It had been four years since the mysterious blue envelope had been discovered by the alien affairs organization, and every day Rose Tyler had been working tirelessly to find a way back to the sender. She _**knew**_ she could make it back to her home universe. She'd done it before, nearly sixty-nine years ago, back when the stars were going out. And, after all, something had already come through without shattering the universes.

At the break of dawn, Rose Tyler was up and at 'em. Clasped tightly in her hand was the single TARDIS blue envelope that had started it all, the edges bent several times over and multiple creasing showing how often it was held. She strode through the crisp, clean halls of the Cardiff Torchwood base. Although Cardiff wasn't the main headquarters, the weakest point of the rift was located in the city, and that made inter-universal travel a lot less hectic.

Behind the director, all of Torchwood's who's-who followed, their faces solemn and their steps formal. Together, the expert scientists and field agents made their way down to the most top-secret section of the underground base.

In a pristine subterranean lab, a single dimensional canon took up the majority of the room, the scientists around it making sure to keep their distance. The canon, regarded as the Widow-Maker, a tribute to the lives lost and destroyed in order to test the machine, was pointed at an ominously blank white wall.

Director Tyler pushed her way past the maximum security doors and briskly strode towards the middle of the room, straight at the Widow-Maker.

Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing, turning in attention to face their director.

The blonde rolled her eyes to herself. "Status report," she asked the head scientist, her voice retaining all the power she had as Torchwood's Director.

"The dimensional particles have achieved a state of stability, the rift is naturally in a fluctuating curve as of right now, and the reaction-stabilizer jacket is ready," Dr. Reiga explained professionally.

Director Tyler nodded to herself in satisfaction. Casting a skeptical, and admittedly hopeful, glance at the canon, she narrowed her eyes. "Prepare the Widow-Maker for a jump," she ordered, leaving no room for discussion.

Quiet murmurs exploded among the Torchwood workers. They all knew the dimensional canon had potential for working, but it was a finicky thing, and, frankly, none of them wanted to lose their director to the Widow-Maker.

"Now," Rose reinforced, directing it at the chattering scientist. Although she liked being kind and polite to her workers, Rose Tyler knew when to step up and become authorative. And now was one of those times.

Instantly, the scientists scuttled about, preparing for the jump. As they worked, one of the head scientists that had arrived with Rose stepped up to stand beside her.

"This is dangerous," Dr. Greer commented. "Even for you."

"I know," Rose replied firmly. Now was _**not**_ the time to give into peer pressure. A fleeting thought fought its way to the front of her mind. '_I've traveled with a lot of people, but you're setting new records for jeopardy friendly.'_

"I don't think you should risk this," Dr. Greer tried to convince her.

"And _**I**_ think that I should," she countered, her voice shifting into a more threatening tone.

"The canon's powering up, Director Tyler," one of the younger scientists called out.

The Widow-Maker, in all its glory, produced a soft whirring sound, the metallic sides lighting up in a mixture of greens, blues, and reds. One of the other workers handed Rose a thick, black, bulletproof-like vest and a wristband reminiscent of Jack's vortex manipulator, except this one's job was to merely stabilize the vortex, not manipulate it. Slipping on the heavy material, Rose made her way to stand before the white wall, hands placed firmly on her jean-clad hips.

Everyone around the room shared in a long, apprehensive glance. A few of them looked like they were about to argue with their orders, but at the determined look on Director Tyler's face, they shifted their eyes down. Nothing could stop Rose Tyler from getting back to her Doctor.

Without a twinge of fear, the blonde stared right at the beam focusers on the Widow-Maker, before her eyes met with her veteran workers, those who had known her longest, those who she trusted the most.

"If I don't come back," she started, her voice strong despite the tense situation.

"You _**will**_ come back," one of Rose's few remaining friends assured.

"Then I give the title of Director to Zachary McKline," Rose continued, ignoring the arguing scientist.

Quite a few people seemed taken aback, including the middle-aged Irish field agent known as Zachary McKline.

"Me?" he managed to choke out.

"Yes," Director Tyler nodded. "I know what you're capable of, Zachary. Don't ever think that you're not suited for the job. Just do one thing for me, live a brilliant life."

The two of them locked eyes, and the younger (yet older looking) field agent hardened his look with determination.

Rose Tyler allowed herself a grin in the direction of her trusted Torchwood workers before she faced the scientist operating the Widow-Maker's controls.

"Ready when you are," the blonde woman called.

The scientist gulped. Rose Tyler faced the dimensional canon. There was a bright light, the sound of ripping and tearing, and then complete silence.

No matter the cost, Rose knew that she would find her way to her Doctor. She had been prepared for the dizziness that traveling without a ship caused, but the excruciating pain caught her by surprise, sending her into a dark abyss filled with nothingness.

There was nothing, Director Tyler knew that. No air to breathe, her lungs were screaming, no light to see, her eyes were crying, and there was nothing to stand on, her legs aching for the contact of her _**proper**_ universe's ground.

Once she felt close to losing consciousness, both from the suffocation and the unbearable pain, there was a sense of being pulled. It was almost like she was being dragged, like something had latched onto her very soul and refused to let go no matter what.

And, through the pain and terror, that _**thing**_ which pulled her, gave her a single sense of relief. Around her, air began to flow. It was cold air, yet there was the delicious scent of chips on the breeze, and her lungs took their fill. Light began to streak across the nothingness in blinding strands, and, even though she was touching no ground, Rose could feel the reassuring presence of earth underneath her.

Next thing Rose Tyler knew, the pain had released its grip on her. Unfortunately, so had the comforting pulling. Then, Rose Tyler was plummeting to whatever lay beneath her.

Painfully, her back collided with a solid, rock-like substance, driving the chip-scented air from her lungs and leaving her breathless. She squirmed, arching her back slightly off the ground, and permitted a single groan to escape her lips. Blinking her eyes open, her vision swam for several minutes, until the black spots eventually faded, disappearing behind locked doors along with the pain from falling.

Rose sat up gingerly, rubbing her back to try and reduce the sting, and carefully grabbed a nearby wall to assist her while she stood up.

Taking a deep breath of the deliciously scented world, she smiled _**her**_ smile, tongue poking out between her teeth. She didn't know _**how**_ she knew, but Rose Tyler, Bad Wolf, the Valiant Child, Dame Rose of the Powell Estate, Defender of Earth, Miss Jeopardy Friendly, Pink and Yellow Human, Girl Who Always Came Back, could tell that she was on her way home.

But, of course, she just had to have landed in the worst spot imaginable...


	5. Chapter 5

Rose Tyler was most definitely not in the best situation. Her back was still aching from the fall, she was indescribably discombobulated from inter-dimensional travel, her vortex stabilizer had been damaged, and her blonde hair was probably a complete mess. Not to mention, she had also ended up landing in a dingy, alien alleyway.

And there were currently five burly, fur-covered humanoid thug-like creatures blocking the only way out.

The creatures, known as Corcurim from the planet STV245-PJK, were comparable to the black market dealers and drug addicts of the alien world. They also happened to be five times stronger than the average professional human weight lifter.

Director Tyler rubbed her head groggily, not yet having realized her audience. "That could've gone better," she mumbled, her accent slurring slightly.

The Corcurim exchanged a glance, their black, beady eyes laced with mischief, and turned towards the weak-looking human girl. As the first, and largest, of the five stepped forward, the battered blonde froze.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the subtle movement, and, somehow feeling the tangible ill intent of the Corcurim, her years of Torchwood training kicked in. Making sure to move slowly, Rose straightened up, her past pain forgotten in the dire situation.

A professional-grade Torchwood blaster was resting on her hip, the rare metal suddenly burning against her skin. Her hand subconsciously drifted towards the weapon, curving delicately around the handle before tightening.

"Take another step, and you _**will**_ regret it," the, now ex-, Director of Torchwood threatened, fully prepared to back her claim.

"Ooh," the Corcurim scoffed. "Looks like the little girl is a feisty one," the leader commented, chuckling in a deep, throaty voice. "I like feisty."

"Sorry, but I'm taken," the blonde remarked coldly, fingers gripping the blaster even tighter.

The five of them chuckled, the menacing noise sending involuntary shivers down Rose's back. "Come on, little girl, we just wanna play," the leader taunted, probably aiming for a seductive voice, but only managing to make the blonde that much angrier.

"Then how about a game?" she cocked her head to the side, all signs of fear and nausea gone, being replaced with adrenaline. Her blaster was out and aimed at the leader in a single breath. "It's called 'Get the Hell Outta My Face'."

With a disgruntled snort, the Corcurim shuffled back at the sight of Rose's weapon, practically tripping over their own hooved feet in their haste to get away.

Sighing, Rose holstered her blaster and brushed her ratty hair out of her face. Even though the air around her carried the scent of chips (to which she was delighted to smell), she could tell that this was not her Earth. Rose Tyler was in the right universe, but not quite in the right galaxy.

She took a few tentative steps out of the alley and found herself in a city that seemed to be replicating the structure of a popular human city, such as that of New York.

"New Earth?" Rose mumbled quietly to herself. "No," she decided, glancing around critically. "Definitely not New Earth. One of the Great and Bountiful Human Empires?" she tried to reason, thinking of any and all the places the Doctor had taken her to. "Maybe" the blonde nodded thoughtfully.

Rose had to admit, even after all her years working with Torchwood, it was still a bit nerve-wracking to step onto the ground of an unfamiliar planet. Of course, it would've been much better if she had had a hand to hold.

But, she couldn't allow herself to dwell on that for too long. Right now, Rose Tyler needed to find a way off this planet and back to Earth, as that was where the coordinates on the invitation were located.

First off, she needed a plan. Maybe the Doctor could go on and save the world with ideas thought of in seconds, but everyone else definitely benefitted from a plan of action. To get off this planet, whatever it was, Rose would need transport (whether a ship or maybe a swiped vortex manipulator). In order to get transport, though, she could use one of a few tactics.

Seduction had never been her strong suit (that was where Jack had always come in handy), but maybe if she found the right person it could work. Although, searching for the right person could take too long. So that idea was ousted. Rose could always try and get some pity from someone else, but she had learned the hard way, years back, that too many aliens (especially in these times) were unfriendly to humans.

Then again, maybe her best bet was to just find a pub and grab a nice alcoholic drink.

Her gold-tinged brown eyes skimmed past the buildings around her position and spotted what she presumed was a bar, judging by the rather drunk-looking fellows that stumbled out the door. Rose made her way towards the building, knocking slightly into one of the many people and nabbing what looked like credits.

Inside, the pub was dimly lit and crowded with swarms of aliens of every kind. Thankfully, Rose wasn't the only human (at least, she figured that they were human, but it was always hard to tell). She settled down at one of the few empty tables and struggled to clear her head.

After sitting there for what felt like hours (her mind confirming it had actually only been thirty minutes), a strange feeling wormed its way up into the pit of her stomach. It wasn't pain or fear, nor was it apprehension. It was just _**wrongness**_. The feeling pitched and rolled, making her stomach clench uncomfortably.

Rose reasoned that it was just the after effects of traveling without a ship. Deciding that maybe a drink wasn't the best idea after all, the blonde got up and forced herself through the crowd. She kept her head down, as the sense of wrongness in her stomach was brewing and threatening to bubble up now.

She knocked her shoulder with that of what seemed to be another human and, without even sparing a single glance at him, offered up a quick apology. "Sorry mate," she murmured, before finally finding herself in the semi-fresh air outside the pub.

Night had fallen, and three moons hung low in the horizon, lighting up the streets with their multi-colored moon-glow.

But Rose Tyler didn't have time to spare with sight-seeing. She _**had**_ to find a way off this planet.

As she was about to wander down the street, a male voice called out to her. "Rose?" it called, sounding almost hopeful.

Said blonde turned on the spot. She _**knew**_ that voice, had longed to hear that voice almost as much as the Doctor's, had thought that that voice had been silenced back on the Game Station.

And then their eyes locked.

His blue eyes, ancient and filled with disbelieving hope, and her gold-tinged brown eyes, slowly widening in pure shock, only to soften with happiness.

"Jack," she breathed out, a grin spreading across her cheeks and tears coming to her eyes.

"Rose," he smiled back.

The two time travelers closed the short distance between each other and wrapped their arms around the other in a tight embrace. Rose's feet were off the ground, Jack spinning her around slightly.

The blonde fought to not think about another who used to hug her like that.

Tears spilled over Rose's eyes, trailing softly down to her chin. Currently, a huge smile (the largest she'd had in nearly sixty-nine years) was threatening to crack her cheeks. Jack wasn't much more composed (but he would've said otherwise), and even his eyes were beginning to tear up slightly.

Both friends clung to each other as if their life depended on it. Only after what seemed like eternity did they finally step back a bit, only enough to look at each other's face. Vaguely, Rose's mind registered that something was..._**off**_...about her old friend. Consciously, she forced it to the back of her head.

Rose brought up a hand and wiped away her tears, giving a watery smile to her friend. "I'm glad ta' see ya."

"It's been so long, Rosie," he smiled. "What've you been up to? Where's the Doctor?" he glanced around, as if thinking that would draw out the mad man.

Her smile faltered, until it was completely replaced with a solemn look. "I don't know," she whispered. "That's what I'm doing 'ere, actually."

"You don't know?" Jack questioned. "But, after that whole 'stars going out' thing, I was certain," he trailed off, noticing the pained expression on his friend's face.

"After he dropped you off, he left me, my mum, and John, the metacrisis, in Pete's World," she explained quietly.

"He really _**is**_ oblivious," Jack commented, trying in vain to lighten the mood. "I'm sorry, Rosie."

"Don't be," she shrugged it off, grimacing slightly. "It's not your fault."

"But, if he left you with the metacrisis, then where is he?" Once again, the ex-Time Agent glanced around.

"Do you happen to 'ave a ride off this place, whereva' we are?" Rose deliberately changed the subject.

Realization lit Jack's eyes, and his expression softened. "Yeah," he nodded. "Got a ship I..._**acquired**_...from a friend of mine," he confirmed. "Right this way, Miss Rose Tyler."

Taking her hand, Jack led her down the street. They walked along in companionable silence, stepping in time with each other.

"So, where exactly are we?" Rose was the one to break the silence.

"This is planet Bob," Jack smirked.

"Bob?" the blonde cocked an eyebrow. "What will they think of next?" she shook her head.

"No idea," he chuckled.

"What are you doin' 'ere?" she turned to look at him.

He shrugged. "Just needed a vacation," he reasoned. "Working with Torchwood can be tiring."

"Don't I know it," Rose agreed, smiling with just a hint of sadness.

"What was your rank?" he wondered, waggling his eyebrows. "Commander Tyler?" Jack guessed, his eyes flicking over her and sizing her up.

Rose laughed. "Oh, no. I'm not a commander," she waved her hand. "Besides, it'd be _**Director**_ Tyler to you," her smile pulled into a smug grin.

"You're kidding!" Jack laughed, throwing his head back. "My little Rosie, growing up so fast!" he congratulated. "Torchwood Director while you're still so young." Suddenly he became more serious, though a smile still lingered on his features.

"I'm not _**that**_ young, Jack," Rose commented, her voice quieting and becoming almost melancholic.

"What are you talking about?" his smile disappeared. "You don't look a day older than last time I saw you," he reasoned. "Unless..."

"It's a long story," Rose looked away from his concerned, prying eyes and pulled her hand from his grasp in order to cross her arms over her chest.

"It's a long trip back to Earth," Jack remarked evenly. "Tell me Rosie. What happened in that parallel universe?"

"It's not what, but _**who**_."

* * *

**Please, please, please, please review!**

** For the children! You know, like that one little child from the blitz, the one with the gas mask that kept asking 'Are you my mummy?' Or for the kids that were given to the 456 in Torchwood? Or, if you'd prefer, for little children like Amelia Pond!**

** For the children in Doctor Who!**

** So, long story short, review.**

** ~AvenJackel**


	6. Chapter 6

** Sorry everybody! Marching band has kept me pretty busy, I have several other stories I try to work on, school is starting for me in TWO DAYS, and I'm trying to get into a youth orchestra for violin...so yeah, it's been kinda hectic lately! I know this chappie is pretty short, but I'm also posting the seventh one at the same time! Thanks to all my lovely reviewers, favoriters, followers, and readers! You guys rock!**

* * *

Jack set the coordinates for Earth, more commonly known as Sol 3 to the rest of the universe, and turned in the pilot's chair to face Rose expectantly.

Said blonde sighed, leaning back into the co-pilot's chair. "Well, when the Doctor left us in Pete's World, we jus' sorta went back to my mum and Pete's mansion," she started, eyes glazing over slightly as she thought back to the long-ago memories. "At first, it was..._**different**_. John...he wasn't...he jus' wasn't the same as the Doctor," she admitted sadly.

"I mean," she explained. "He had the same memories an' all, but, it jus' wasn't _**him**_," Rose tried in vain to expand. "I still loved him, of course," she smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "John got a job at Torchwood, he yelled at 'em a lot, though. None of 'em seemed to understand jus' who he was.

"We ended up getting a flat of our own," Rose continued. "He wasn't all that happy about the mortgage," a tear slipped down her cheek, and she quickly brushed it away.

Jack reached out one of his hands and squeezed hers in a comforting gesture.

Rose smiled at him in gratitude. "Everything was finally settling down. My mum and Pete were happy, my little brother, Tony, was going to start school, and everthin' was just _**normal**_," Rose murmured. "And then," she choked up and had to close her eyes before starting again.

"He was dyin'," she whispered. "Claimed his DNA, that of both a Time Lord and a human, was too unstable. It's like...everythin' started failing. I sat by his bed every night, holding his hand. And I watched him die."

Tears began pouring down her cheeks. Jack immediately wrapped his arms around her tightly, trying to give her reassurance. Her hand fisted the fabric of his coat and she sobbed against his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Rosie," Jack murmured.

In a spaceship, light-years away from planet Earth, the Face of Boe and the Valiant Child held each other, both seeking comfort in the vast expanse of never-ending space.

It was nearly three hours later before Rose's sniffles had completely stopped. Her eyes were red and puffy, the trails of tears staining her cheeks.

After a brief pause of absolute silence, Rose Tyler took a deep breath. "I'm ninety-two, Jack," she told him. Her voice was steeled, shifting back to the tone she once used as Director Tyler.

"You certainly look good for your age," Jack whispered, trying in vain to lighten the mood.

Another pause.

"Do you know why?"

"All I know is that it has something to do with Bad Wolf," she replied.

"But I thought the Doctor took the Time Vortex out of you!" Jack exclaimed.

The blonde shrugged uneasily. "I thought he did too," she agreed sullenly. "But it didn't stop Bad Wolf from changing me."

Of course, Director Tyler was no idiot. She had become a specialist regarding aliens and their technology, so of course she would have worked tirelessly to find out why she wasn't aging. She knew more about this Bad Wolf stuff then she was letting on. Back then, she had had John to help her. But now, she needed her Doctor's help.

"Don't worry, Rosie," Jack's arms tightened around her slightly. "We'll find him. I promise."

"I know," she mumbled. "Besides, we have all the time in the world."

"Yeah, yeah we do."


	7. Chapter 7

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"He brough' us to bloody Utah," Rose muttered sourly, glaring at the crumpled blue envelope in her hand. Her hair was sticky with her own sweat and her clothes stuck to her awkwardly. Sand was floating through the blowing air, continuously getting in Rose Tyler's eyes

"It wouldn't be the Doctor if he didn't chose an outrageous spot," Jack pointed out lightly, although even he was beginning to get annoyed.

The two travelers had landed on Earth in the year five million, and then used Jack's vortex manipulator to at least get in the right time. After that, though, the device had short-circuited and they had had to 'borrow' a few cars. Unfortunately, their latest car had broken down, leaving them stranded in the middle of Utah.

Which is where they were now.

"Things are never easy with 'im," Rose commented playfully.

"Never," Captain Jack agreed as the two of them continued on down the road.

For nearly an hour they shuffled along the worn road, the sun beating down on them insistently. They were both getting admittedly tired, but knew they couldn't stop now.

Rose was just about to turn to Jack when something on the road caught her attention. It was a bright red car, parked on the wrong side of the road (well, wrong according to American standards). The hood was propped up, a dab of smoke roiling out, as a lanky figure bent over the engine, apparently trying to fix something.

"Look," the blonde nodded towards the car. "Maybe we could ask for a ride?" she suggested in Jack's direction. "Or, ya' know, knock 'im out and steal his ride."

"Sounds like a great idea," Jack grinned despite himself and the two friends started towards the man.

As they approached, they slowed down. Neither wanted to get too close, as they were aware they probably didn't look completely civilized, and for all they knew the man could've been a complete coward.

"'Scuse me, sir?" Rose spoke up first, her voice sounding friendly enough, yet commanding an air of respect.

The man that was leaning over his car started, bashing his head painfully on the bottom of the hood. A deft hand reached over and presumably rubbed the spot where he had hit his head.

"You okay?" Rose grinned a bit despite herself, but was still genuinely concerned about the man's reaction.

He stepped out from the behind the car and faced the two travelers. His green eyes were wide, and strangely old for his young face. Also strange was how he wore a tweed coat and relatively thick pants in the heat of the place, and yet he didn't even look like he was sweating. His mouth was hanging open slightly, giving him the appearance of a gaping fish, and his eyebrows were raised, almost reaching his floppy brown hair.

But it was the eyes that gave him away. Jack was still pretty oblivious, thinking that it was just some weird bloke, but Rose Tyler knew better. She always knew her Doctor when she'd found him.

"Doctor?" she whispered, a cheek-splitting grin spread across her features involuntarily.

"Rose," the Doctor chocked out.

In a split second, the blonde was rushing towards him, throwing her arms around him once she was close enough. In an instant, the Doctor had his arms around her as well. At first, the hug was a bit awkward, as this New, New, New Doctor was shorter, but soon they had arranged themselves into a comfortable position.

Jack was also grinning, happy that his two best friends were finally reunited (_**again**_). But he was wise enough not to interrupt their moment. Last time they had had a reunion, the Doctor ended getting shot by a Dalek. The two of them deserved this.

After the initial surprise and joy, the Doctor and Rose took a step back from each other, still within arms-length.

Suddenly, Rose's hand drew back, and before the Doctor knew what hit him, her hand met with his cheek. The unexpected force of Rose Tyler's slap sent the Doctor stumbling against the side of his car, trying in vain to hold himself up but eventually falling onto his bottom.

"You slapped me!" he exclaimed, hand going up to gingerly dab at the red mark on his cheek. "You, Rose Tyler, just slapped me!"

"That was for leavin' me in another dimension," she explained, crossing her arms and cocking an eyebrow.

Captain Jack Harkness couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped, chuckling at the look of shock on the Doctor's face.

"But it is good to see ya' again, Doctor," Rose's face softened, and she offered a hand to help the Time Lord up.

He took her hand without a moment of hesitation, marveling inwardly at how her hand fit perfectly in his, even now. She helped pull him up and grinned sheepishly at the now bright red handprint on his cheek.

"You weren't lying. You really do wear a bowtie," she commented, noticing the red fabric around his neck.

As if self-consciously, he reached up and fixed it. "Bowties are cool," he replied automatically. "It is great to see you both and all," he smiled. "But, just how, Rose Tyler, are you here?"

"Well, I was invited," she held out her blue envelope. "So I decided it would be rude not to come."

"And I found Rosie stranded. I decided it would be rude of _**me**_ not to escort her here," Jack smirked.

The Doctor's eyes stayed on the envelope in Rose's hand. "I didn't actually think you'd get that," he murmured, mostly to himself. Maybe the universe had decided to cut him a break for once.

No. He still couldn't get his hopes up.

But it did feel so nice to have his pink and yellow human with him again.

"Right, into the car, you two!" the Doctor exclaimed suddenly, pulling the passenger door open for Rose before closing the hood and climbing into the driver's seat.

"Of course I get back," Jack mumbled good-naturedly.

"Where are we going?" Rose wondered as the car started up and they drove off.

The Doctor knew he couldn't take Rose and Jack to Lake Silencio. No, definitely not. He could already feel the timelines changing if he made that choice. Being as jeopardy friendly as she was, Rose would probably try tackling River Song (the one in the astronaut suit) as soon as she saw the gun.

No. _**Definitely**_ not taking them there.

"You two are going to a lovely authentic American diner," he confirmed.

"Us two?" Rose cocked an eyebrow.

"You're seriously not thinking about ditching us, Doc," Jack remarked.

The Time Lord sighed. "Listen to me carefully," he started seriously. "Nothing good is going to happen if you two come with me to where I'm going. I know you too well, and you'd just make a mess of things. Instead, I'm going to leave you both with a younger version of myself. He's not going to know what's going on either. But, just this once, trust me."

"I always trust you, Doctor," Rose replied softly. "But I'm not gonna let you do somethin' stupid," she crossed her arms.

"Which is exactly why you're staying with younger me," he turned to look her straight in the eyes, still driving. "I need you to do this for me, Rose Tyler," he said seriously. Then he smiled. "Rose Tyler," he repeated happily, turning back to face the road. It'd been a while since he'd last said her name, and he had to admit that he missed the sound of it. And it didn't sound half bad coming from his new, new, new voice.

They drove along in companionable silence. There was so much to be said, yet none of them knew where to start. It had been so long for all of them, and although they still felt so close after all this time, they were all beginning to wonder whether they'd ever be able to rekindle the connections they once shared.

Before them lied a long road, both literally and metaphorically, and many decisions were to be made before any happiness could be found.

_**If**_ any happiness could be found.

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** Yeah, I know, kinda short! But I figured it was a good stopping place for this chapter!**

** Please review!**

** ~AvenJackel**


	8. Chapter 8

"Okay, rule number one, don't leave this diner," the Doctor told Rose and Jack as they pulled up to the building. "Rule number two, keep quiet until the younger me shows up. Now, you understand the rules?" he checked.

"Yes, Doctor, we get 'em," Rose remarked, slightly exasperated.

"Will you follow them?" the Doctor questioned.

"We aren't kids, Doc," Jack assured him. "We can take care of ourselves just fine!"

"Right," the Time Lord nodded absentmindedly. "Just, don't blow anything up," were his parting words as Rose and Jack got out of the car.

"You take care of yourself, Doctor, ya' hear me?" Rose planted her hands on her hips and cocked an eyebrow.

He flashed a wide smile (which they all knew was fake), but said nothing as he turned and drove off down the dusty road.

"He's getting himself into so much trouble without us," Jack commented lightly, yet seriousness hung at the edge of his tone.

"Yep," Rose agreed quietly, popping her 'p', before heading inside the diner with Jack behind her.

Both time travelers settled down at the counter. A kindly waitress came up to them and asked what they'd like. They both ordered a glass of water; the desert sun had sapped their energy, not to mention it had made them sweat more than they cared for.

After refueling themselves with ice-cold water, they both remained tense at the counter. Neither of them had actually relaxed in ages, and now their Torchwood trained instincts refused to leave them, especially with the odd behavior of the Doctor.

Neither of them spoke, but they didn't have to. They knew what the other was thinking. The Doctor was getting into a mess that he'd need their help with. And they were damn well going to help him. Whether he wanted them to or not.

Before long, the door swung open, revealing a man with floppy brown hair in a tweed jacket. Both Rose and Jack smiled knowingly, but kept their backs turned until the Doctor sat down at a table.

Rose was the first to turn around, and she smirked as the Doctor looked boredly at the menu in front of him. Sliding off the stool and coming up behind him, she tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, but have we met before?" she asked with a growing smile.

The Doctor froze, hands still holding the menu, which he was staring at sightlessly. Deep down, he _**knew**_ that voice. He hadn't ever heard it with this body, but that didn't matter. Even after all those years, that voice could make him feel like a love-sick teenager.

Slowly, achingly, he stood up and turned to face Rose. He was greeted with a wide grin and he opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. This occurred several times, causing him to look like a fish, before he managed to actually say anything.

"Rose," he barely choked out, his voice coming out in a hoarse whisper.

"Hi Doctor," she smiled gently.

"You can't be here," the Time Lord admitted sadly. "It's impossible."

"Do you ever get tired of being wrong?" Rose wondered softly.

"No," he shook his head, not in answer to her question, but in disbelief of the situation. "You're not really you. Just a figment of my imagination. Just my mind playing cruel tricks on me," he muttered to himself.

Rose Tyler gave him a sympathetic look, knowing exactly how that felt. "It really is me, Doctor," she murmured, taking a step closer to him and resting a comforting hand on his cheek.

He flinched back, squeezing his eyes shut as if that could block the pain. "Oh, but you _**aren't**_ real," he repeated to himself. "And when this is all over, it'll hurt even more."

Even though Rose loved the Doctor, sometimes he just had to have some sense knocked into him. With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, she brought back her hand and, for the second time that day, slapped the last of the Time Lords across the face.

His eyes flew open in surprise as the force of the blow caused him to fall against the table and collapse on the ground. His hand was pressed against his cheek tentatively, and his mouth had flopped open.

Jack decided then to come over and join the party. "Hey, Doc," he grinned.

"Jack?" the Time Lord glanced between him and Rose in confusion. "But..." he trailed off.

"Don't say that Rosie shouldn't be here," the ex-con remarked. "We all know how good she is at getting the impossible done."

The Doctor scrambled to his feet and stared at the two in bewilderment. Then, his eyes shifted to rest on Rose alone. Without another moment's hesitation, he closed the space between them and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on top of her head.

She reacted in earnest, throwing her arms around his neck and buried her face against his chest, noting in satisfaction the sharp scent that he always seemed to smell like, no matter what body he took. Blinking back the tears collecting in her eyes, she reluctantly pulled out of the embrace. They stayed close, only far enough away to get a good look at each other's faces.

"Hey," Rose grinned.

"Hey," the Doctor replied, grinning back.

"Hello to you too," Jack mumbled good naturedly.

"Jack!" the Time Lord exclaimed, as if just noticing him. He came over and brought the immortal into a quick hug, but as he tried to pull back, Jack pressed a kiss to his lips. "Bleh!" the Doctor remarked, wiping his mouth with his hand. After recovering, he glanced between the two of them. "So, what are you two doing here? Not that I'm unhappy!" he corrected quickly.

Rose and Jack shared a look. "Maybe we should sit down," she suggested. "It's kinda a long story."

The three time-travelers took their seats at the table, Rose and Jack on one side and the Doctor on the other. Although he'd never admit it out loud, he was rather annoyed that Rose that was sitting next to Jack and not him, but he pushed the thought away. Now wasn't the time for jealousy.

"Well, it all started back in Pete's World," Rose started, her eyes glazing over slightly as she remembered. For comfort, Jack took her hand. Neither of them noticed as the Doctor tensed, the faintest hints of jealousy sparking in his eyes for a mere second. Rose pulled out the blue envelope in her pocket and laid it on the table. "One day, there was a spike in rift activity. I deployed a Torchwood team, myself included, to go check it out," she explained. "When we got there, I found this," she nodded to the envelope. "Told me to come here. So, I worked with Torchwood to fix up the Dimensional Canon and came here."

"Fortunately, when she got back to our world, I happened to be on the same planet," Jack added. "So I joined her to come here," he shrugged.

They both purposefully left out how old Rose was and what had happened to her family. This wasn't exactly the best time for that sort of news.

"Well, I'm glad you're both here," the Doctor admitted quietly, offering a small smile in their direction.

"So are we, Doctor," Rose grinned.

"Now, Doc, I think we'd both like to know what happened with you," Jack said seriously.

"Ah, yes," he sighed. "That's where things get complicated," the Doctor fiddled with his fingers. "Long story short, the Time Lords came back, turns out they were now evil, and I had to absorb a lot of radiation to save Donna's granddad, Wilfred. It was too much and I was forced to regenerate," he cast a nervous glance at Rose and swallowed. "So, what do you think?" he gestured to himself and looked hopefully at them.

He knew it was silly. He had already gone through this before with both of them. The Doctor was close to positive that they would still be there for him, even if he now wore tweed and bowties and ate fish fingers and custard. But those thoughts did nothing to calm his nerves.

Rose gave him a playfully skeptical glance over. "Hmm," she tapped her chin. "Your...different," she decided.

The Doctor allowed a small smile, but he still couldn't help asking. "Different good or different bad?"

"Jus'...different," Rose couldn't help the grin that took over her features, and the Doctor was close behind.

"Well, I think you look great, Doc," Jack smirked suggestively.

The Time Lord shot him a glare, but soon all three friends were laughing as loud as they could, drawing attention to themselves from the other customers in the diner.

Luckily, none of them were necessarily self-conscious.

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** Wow. I've really put Rose in a slapping mood, haven't I? Huh, hope you guys don't mind! I've always loved the Tyler Slap myself!**

** Anywho!**

** Please review!**

** Love ya' guys!**

** ~AvenJackel**


	9. Chapter 9

** Whoo! Two in one day! I'm on a roll! Even though I should **_**really**_** being doing my homework by now...I just can't help how addicting Fanfiction is!**

** Anyway!**

** Hope you enjoy this chappie! Any familiar quotes were taken from The Impossible Astronaut.**

** Disclaimer: Nope, sorry. I don't even stand a chance of owning Doctor Who!**

* * *

It felt like a lifetime since the three of them had really just relaxed in each other's company. And really, it _**had**_ been a lifetime for all of them. Even so, it felt so simple and natural for the three time-travelers to fall back into their old ways: Rose and the Doctor having playful banters while Jack flirted with both of them.

At the back of their minds, they knew this peace and relaxation wasn't going to last. But at the front of the minds, they were just happy for the moments they had with each other.

"Ah!" the Doctor exclaimed. "No bendy straws!" he complained. "Be right back, I'm sure there's some in the TARDIS!" he stood up from his seat. "I'll get you two some as well," the hyper Time Lord practically scampered through the back door where the TARDIS was parked.

"He doesn't really ever change, does he?" Rose smiled fondly.

"Oh, never," Jack agreed.

"Why do you think he left us here?" Rose murmured, thinking about how the slightly older Doctor had acted earlier. "Somethin' must be wrong," she reasoned.

"I have a feeling we'll find out sooner or later," Jack narrowed his eyes as three people, two women and a man, walked into the diner.

Rose's eye flicked to watch them out of the corner of her eye. They seemed to be shaken, although the red-headed woman seemed to be taking it the worst. She took a sip of her drink, trying to look like any other civilian in the shop. Something about the three of them felt different, and yet entirely familiar, almost as if Rose should've known them. Whatever it was, if being with the Doctor and Torchwood for so long had taught her anything, it was to trust her gut. So, using her well-trained ears, she eaves-dropped on the trio's conversation.

"You got three," the curly-haired woman started. "I got two. Mr. Delaware was four."

"So?" the man asked.

"So, where's one?" she wondered, staring down at a blue envelope in her hand.

"What? You think he invited someone else?"

"Well, he must've."

Rose inconspicuously slid her own envelope off the table, carefully flicking it slightly in Jack's direction. He immediately nodded just a fraction of an inch, understanding what she was trying to convey. The three people must have been companions, or incredibly well-trusted people, of the Doctor's.

And they had all been brought to meet with the younger Doctor that had also been invited. Jack and Rose couldn't help but wonder _**why**_.

"Will you shut up? It doesn't matter," the red-head whispered, just barely loud enough for Rose to hear. "He's dead."

Rose and Jack shared a suspicious look. Who was dead? Was that why the Doctor had been acting so strangely earlier?

"Going to space in 1969," the curly-haired one continued to the man. "What did he mean?"

"You're still talking, but it doesn't matter," the other woman murmured.

"Hey," the man turned to her. "It mattered to him."

Rose couldn't stand it any longer. She had to know who and what they were talking about. And yet she had a sneaking suspicion she would feel sick if she found the truth. Without further thinking, she stood up and faced the three people. They turned and faced her, their expressions ranging from wary, to emotionless and broken, to completely surprised.

She held up her own envelope, careful not to show the number, as Jack stood behind her. "I take it you know the Doctor then," Rose grinned.

"We used to," the red-head remarked quietly.

"Shh, Amy," the man comforted her.

Jack looked to the last of the three, thinking she would be the only real help of them.

The curly-haired time traveler stared at them in shock. "You know," she began with a tightly controlled voice. "That it is entirely impossible for the two of you to be here."

Rose rolled her eyes in exasperation. She was really getting tired of people telling her how impossible it was. It was getting ridiculous. "Sometimes I believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast," she remarked.

"How did you know the Doctor?" the red-head, now known as Amy to Jack and Rose, wondered, casting them a wary glance.

"Now why, Amelia Pond, are you speaking in past tense?" the Doctor wondered as he stepped out of the back door with three bendy straws.

Amy, River, and Rory's jaws practically dropped to the floor, and they all looked as if they had seen a ghost.

River was the first to break the silence. "That's cold, even by your standards. That's cold," she muttered at the Doctor.

Being as oblivious as ever, the Time Lord glanced down at the straws in his hand. "Yes, well, had I known that you were going to be here, I would've gotten you straws as well," he nodded back to where the TARDIS was.

"Doctor?" Amy stepped towards him.

Rose and Jack, noticing the looks on their faces, took a few steps away and let the scene unfold in front of their attentive eyes.

Amy and the Doctor turned around each other. "You're okay," Amy noted. "How are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay, Amy," the Doctor pulled her into a gentle embrace. "I'm always okay. In fact, I'm the king of okay."

And even though they all knew that that was a complete lie, the let it slide. But just this once, they reassured themselves.

"Oh, forget that, that's a rubbish title," he corrected himself, leaving his embrace with Amy and going over to Rory. "Rory the Roman! Now that's a good title! Hello Rory!" he hugged the man. "And Professor River Song," he turned to the curly-haired woman. "So, what sort of trouble do you have for me this time?" the Doctor wondered, that adventurous twinkle in his eye.

River opened her mouth to reply, but the Doctor spun back around to face Rose and Jack, who were watching with small smirks. "Oh, right! Can't forget introductions!" the Doctor remembered, getting between Jack and Rose and throwing his arms around their shoulders. "Amy, River, and Rory, meet Jack and Rose. Jack, Rose, meet Amy, River, and Rory! Now, new rule! Nobody turn all jealous," he instructed all of them. "For some reason that always happens when new companions meet old companions," he mused.

"Who are you calling old?" Rose remarked, crossing her arms and cocking an eyebrow.

The Doctor paused as if just noticing his mistake. "Why," he looked around frantically for an outlet. "I was talking about Jack, of course," he shrugged it off, receiving a grin from Rose and a playful glare from Captain Jack. "The gang's all here! Oh a gang, never had one of those before! We could go out and solve mysteries together! Like in Scooby-Doo!" he rambled on, mostly to himself. "But, no Mystery Machine," he shook his head in distaste. "If anything, the TARDIS would be the _**Sexy**_ Machine! Now if only I could find a talking dog," he finally trailed off.

"I don't understand," Rory admitted in confusion.

"What is there not to understand?" the Doctor reasoned. "I was just explaining how we were a gang! Need I go over that again?"

"No, how can you be here?" Rory reached out and poked him in the chest.

"I was invited," he shrugged, pulling out a blue envelope with a silver '1' on it.

"Just like the rest of us were," Rose explained. "Well, except for this one," she jabbed her thumb in the direction of Jack. "He's just a bit of a freeloader," she joked.

"Hey!" Jack protested, pouting slightly. "But," he went back to being serious. "You all got the same time, same map reference, same everything. Definitely not a coincidence."

"River, what's going on?" Amy murmured.

"Amy, ask him what age he is," River instructed, and Rose narrowed her eyes skeptically.

"That's a bit personal," the Doctor replied.

"Tell her," River all but ordered. "Tell her what age you are."

"Nine-hundred-and-nine."

Rose and Jack immediately knew that was a lie. The Doctor had been nine-hundred when he had first met Rose. They had traveled for two years. Then the Doctor traveled with Martha for another year and a half, and the year that never was. After that was his time with Donna. Not to mention he must've spent several years traveling alone. And that was before he had even regenerated.

"So where does that leave us?" River demanded. "Jim the Fish? Have we done Jim the Fish?"

"Any idea who Jim the Fish is?" Rose leaned in towards Jack so that no one else would hear her.

"Not a clue," he murmured back. "But he sounds like he'd be tasty."

"Who's Jim the Fish?" the Doctor repeated the question lingering in Jack and Rose's minds.

"I don't understand," Amy shook her head.

But to Rose it looked as though she didn't want to understand. Not that she blamed her. Life with the Doctor could get rather confusing. And sometimes when you actually found out the truth, you realized you'd give nothing more to go back to being blissfully ignorant.

"Yes, you do understand," Rory told her.

"Well, I don't have a clue what's going on!" the Doctor reminded them.

"Obviously, someone wanted all of us here for some reason or another," Rose explained. Sure, she knew more than that, but she had a strange feeling to stay silent about that information to this Doctor.

"We were recruited. It's something to do with space, in 1969," River added, giving nervous glancing towards the Ponds. "And a man called Canton Everett Delaware the Third."

"Recruited by who?" the Doctor asked solemnly.

"Someone who trusts you more than anyone else in the universe," River expanded.

But not quite in the multiverse, Rose figured. Secretly, she couldn't help but be just a teensy bit smug about that.

"And who's that?" the Doctor wondered.

"Spoilers."

* * *

**Please review!**

** ~AvenJackel**


	10. Chapter 10

** Okay, again. So sorry! But, this chapter is about twice as long as normal! And I'm thinking about making this length a bit more of my status quo...so, there's always that to look forward to!**

** Thanks to everyone that added my story to their favorites, alerts, and whatnot!**

** It actually took me a bit longer than I expected to come up with the idea for what to do with Rose in this episode. But I hope you guys like it!**

**Please review!**

** ~AvenJackel**

* * *

When Rose took her first step aboard the TARDIS, it was like coming home after a long journey. The comforting hum of the sentient ship filled her mind and a cheek-splitting grin broke across her face without her even noticing. She noted that the console really had changed, as it had gone from the coral struts to a more technological look. It was different, but it was still the old girl, so Rose didn't mind so much.

She had to take several deep breaths, resting her hand almost in awe. It had been so long since Rose Tyler had been aboard the TARDIS, and it was going to take some time to get back in the swing of things with the ship always in her head. The TARDIS provided a sense of warmth and support that was hard to come by, and the presence in Rose's head was most welcome, especially since the TARDIS seemed so happy to have Rose back (if the burst of love and small clips in Rose's head were enough to go by).

But the ex-director of Torchwood soon felt her smile slip off her face as she noticed a subdued Amy trailing down beneath the console. The three newest companions were hiding something, and Rose knew that she had to find out what it was.

"Now, 1969!" the Doctor called excitedly as he rushed about the controls. "That's an easy one! It's funny how some years are easy and others aren't," he began rambling, not noticing the moods of his companions. "1843 is absolutely chock-full of glitches," the Time Lord grinned in Rose's direction, and she couldn't help but smirk back at the memory of their adventure gone wrong. "Canton Everett Delaware the third, that was his name, right? There could be...three I suppose," he continued as River brushed past him to join Amy. "Rory, are those two cross with me?"

"I'll find out," the man nodded.

"You two aren't mad at me as well, are you?" the Doctor turned to Jack and Rose.

The two shared a mischievous look. "Well, maybe jus' a bit," Rose grinned, her teeth poking out between her tongue.

"And what, Rose Tyler, would ever make you angry with me?" he replied in a mockingly hurt tone.

"The old girl says you still hit her with that blasted mallet," she remarked pointedly.

The Doctor sighed. "Why does it seem like all the women around here are teaming up on me?" he groaned, eliciting a laugh from Jack.

"That's because they are, Doc," Captain Harkness joked.

Suddenly, the Time Lord became serious. "Do you know why those three are acting the way they are?" he peered at them intensely.

"Doctor, we don't even know how they normally act, let alone why they're acting like this," Rose commented.

"Right," he nodded. Then, with a frown, all but dove to lean over the side of the walkway and shout down at the others. "I'm being extremely brilliant and none of you three are up here to be amazed! What good are you lot for!"

"Jack," Rose murmured, just loud enough for the Captain to hear as the Doctor busied himself with his TARDIS' controls. With a quick glance over her shoulder, Rose led him into a hall of the TARDIS out of the Doctor's range so he wouldn't hear them. "I need you to do something for me, Jack. And it isn't going to be easy," she turned to him seriously.

"What is it, Rose?" he wondered, keeping his voice down.

"It's the TARDIS," she explained, her brown eyes flicking across the unfamiliar, yet still welcoming, walls. "She's tellin' me that something's going to happen. And we're going to need some background information. Think you're up to it?" Rose smirked, already knowing the answer.

Jack flashed a charming smile. "I'm ready at the word, Director."

* * *

"So!" the Doctor called excitedly as Rose rejoined the group in the console room. "Canton Everett Delaware the third! Who is he?"

"I'm sure we'd all love to know, Doctor," Rose smirked, walking up to him beside at the TARDIS' scanner.

"Ex-FBI," River Song noted from next to them. "Got kicked out."

"Why?" the Doctor wondered.

"Seems he didn't agree with the authority," the ex-director of Torchwood commented. "Know the feeling."

"Six weeks after he was de-commissioned, he was contacted by the President of the United States," Professor Song added.

"Uh, 1969, who's President?" he looked first to Rose and then to River.

"Richard Nixon," River answered. "Vietnam, Watergate, a lot of good stuff too."

"Not enough," the Doctor reasoned lightly.

"Hippie!" River accused playfully, eliciting an uneasy smile from Rose.

"Try imaging him at Woodstock," she joked and River laughed with a carefree nature.

"Always teaming up on me," the Time Lord muttered to himself. "Since for once I don't know what I'm getting myself into, I'm going to go discrete."

"Doctor and discrete in the same sentence," Rose remarked teasingly.

"I'll have you know that I am very much discrete, Rose Tyler!" he bantered back. "And I'm putting the engines on silent," he grinned, flipping a switch and causing a harsh ringing noise from the TARDIS.

Rose couldn't help but recoil slightly at the discomfort roiling in her stomach at the sound, the ship sending her waves of her own feelings caused by the Doctor's meddling. Her stomach clenched when River stepped up and casually flipped the switch. She felt a sting of jealousy. No other companions that she could think of knew how to drive the TARDIS.

"Did you do something?" the Doctor turned back to River Song.

"No," the professor shook her head. "Just...watching."

He cast them all suspicious looks. "Going to have to turn her invisible!" he spun around to work on the console. "Haven't done this in a while! Big drain on the power!" Another button was pressed, another wave of discomfort from the TARDIS, before River came and quickly undid whatever the Doctor had tried to do.

"Did you touch something?" the Doctor accused again.

"Just admiring your skills, sweetie," River shrugged, not noticing the stiffening of the blonde woman near her.

"Good," he nodded. "Might just learn something." Turning to the scanner, he fiddled with it for a few seconds before giving up. "Can't get the scanner. It doesn't work when we're cloaked. Uh, just give us a mo'," the Doctor rushed towards the door.

Almost instinctively, the other people on board the TARDIS started to follow him, only for him to call back, "Woah! No, you lot stay here. We're in the middle of the most powerful city in the most powerful country on Earth. Let's take it slow." And then he was gone.

With a roll of her eyes, Rose checked to make sure her gun was still strapped to her thigh, but hidden well enough that she wouldn't be considered a threat, and strode towards the door. As her hand wrapped around the handle, River called to her.

"He did tell us to wait here," she remarked with a challenging edge in her tone.

Rose turned back and stared at the other woman with a spark in her eyes that only a person with high authority would know. "I didn't take you three as the type to follow his rules," she replied coolly, stepping out of the ship and joining the Doctor as President Nixon and Canton listened to a phone-call.

She calmly strode up beside the Doctor and listened intently to the conversation that was recorded on the phone. The Doctor glanced over at her and then back to the two men, before his head snapped over for a double take. He gaped at her and gestured at the TARDIS incessantly, eyes flicking over to the men worriedly. Rose rolled her eyes, pressed her index fingers to her lips to shush the Time Lord, and focused once more onto the recording.

As the child's voice came on, Rose's eyes softened slightly and she took a miniscule step closer to the Doctor as a sudden chill swept down her back. He was writing in a notepad, but paused for a second and looked down at his companion with worry in his eyes.

The call ended. President Nixon turned around and noticed the two time-travelers, one who was occupied with writing in a notepad and the other who had her arms crossed in defiance and a look on her face that just begged the President to mess with her.

Rose nudged the Time Lord with her elbow and he glanced up while still writing, signaling for the men to continue their discussion. After freezing a half-second later, Rose sighed through her nose in exasperation.

"Oh, hello," the Doctor greeted. "Bad moment," he apologized. "Oh look! This is the _**Oval**_ Office," he glanced around, slowly ushering Rose back towards the concealed TARDIS. "We were looking for the...um...oblong room," he stammered slightly.

"Yeah, we're jus' tourists," Rose added innocently. "He can't even learn to drive on the right side of the road here! Must've taken a wrong turn somewhere around this place!"

"It's absolutely true," the Doctor agreed. "It took me three whole hours to find the Washington Monument! Well, more like three and a half," he corrected as an after-thought.

The President reached over and pressed an emergency button as Rose closed her eyes in slight frustration. Slowly, she reached down until her hand was wrapped around the hilt of her gun. She didn't want to use it, but if any people tried to shoot them first, she was damn well going to defend herself and the Doctor.

The Doctor spun around and ran into the TARDIS, knocking himself back slightly from the impact. "No worries!" he called.

Canton Everett Delaware the third brushed past Rose, disregarding her as an enemy, since she was a woman, and instead tackled the Doctor to the floor.

"Its' okay, Rose!" the Doctor cried. "I've got this all under control!"

"Every time," Rose shook her head, but took Canton's hand from around the Doctor's wrist and pulled the ex-FBI agent up. Using the combat skills that had been etched into her mind at Torchwood, she flipped him over onto his front and forced his arms back with a foot pressed against his spine.

More agents rushed into the room, quickly overpowering both Rose and the Doctor and knocking them to the floor.

"Make her blue again, River!" the Doctor called towards the TARDIS.

Suddenly, the wonderful time and space machine appeared in full color before all the occupants of the room. In surprise, the agents all but jumped back, releasing their hold on the time-travelers. The Doctor leaped up, reaching a hand out and pulling Rose up beside him.

"What the hell is that?" Nixon murmured in awe.

"That'd be our ride," Rose commented casually.

With all the Americans distracted by the appearance of the TARDIS, the Doctor managed to sneak past them to the President's desk, Rose in tow behind him. He settled down in the chair, waggling his eyebrows at Rose, and crossed his feet on the edge of the desk.

"Well, Mr. President," he began in a non-too-convincing western accent.

Immediately, eight different guns were trained on the time-travelers as the agents refocused on their presence. Automatically, Rose grabbed her own gun, one which was at least twenty times more powerful than all of theirs' combined, and centered it on them. There was a glint in her eyes, remnants of the authority being Torchwood Director had left her, daring them to harm either the Doctor or herself.

"Mr. President, that girl has told you everything you need to know. You just weren't listening close enough. But, no matter! And, if you're wondering, the answer is yes," the Doctor explained cryptically. "I'll take the case. But, seriously, the guns? I just walked into the highest security building and left a big, blue box on the rug. And you think you can just shoot me?"

"They're Americans!" River shouted as she joined the fray, sending everyone into a gun-cocking party.

"Don't shoot!" the Doctor threw his hands up, casting a glance at Rose, who reluctantly left her gun on the desk and held her hands up in surrender.

"Very much not in need of being shot," Rory and Amy stepped out beside River, everyone holding their hands up.

"Who the hell are you?" President Nixon demanded.

"Sir," Canton held a hand up to calm him down. "I think you need to stay back."

"But," Nixon spluttered. "Who are they? And what is that box?"

"It's a police box," the Doctor replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Can't you read?" he ridiculed.

"Rude," Rose interrupted, just loud enough for him to hear. "We're your new agents," she announced. "I'm the Director of Torchwood, an organization with the Scotland Yard, codename Bad Wolf. This is my partner, the Doctor."

The Doctor's eyes flashed with fear for a brief second before he managed to compose himself once more. "And these are our top operatives: the Legs, the Nose, and Mrs. Robinson."

"Hate you," River Song grumbled.

"Join the club," Rose remarked, only half-jokingly.

"Who are you people?" Nixon wondered.

"Not important," the Doctor brushed the question away. "What is important is who's calling you," he reasoned. "Canton here was right, that was absolutely a girl's voice, which means she can only be in one place."

"Where?" Canton asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Do not engage with the enemy, Mr. Delaware," a black agent remarked, his gun still trained on the intruders.

"You had everything I need. It's simple enough," the Doctor replied seriously. "Give me five seconds and I'll explain. On the other hand," he relaxed back into the chair. "You lay a hand on me or any of my friends and you'll never, ever know."

"How did you get that in here," Canton indicated the TARDIS. "I mean, you didn't carry it in here," he noted.

"Well, it looks like we've got a thinker here," Rose smirked slightly.

"Rather clever, isn't it?" the Doctor grinned.

"Love it," Canton admitted.

"Do _**not**_ compliment the enemy," the agent reinforced.

"Five minutes?" Mr. Delaware checked.

"Only five," the Doctor assured.

"Mr. President, that man is a clear and present danger," the agent began.

"What am I, chopped liver?" Rose muttered under her breath.

"Mr. President," Canton turned to Nixon. "That man walked in here with a big, blue box and four of his friends. And that's the man he walked past," he nodded to the agent. "I think he's worth listening to. I say we give him five minutes, see if he delivers."

"Thanks Canton," the Doctor nodded.

"And if he doesn't, I'll shoot him myself," Canton finished.

"Not so thanks," the Time Lord decided.

"Sir, I cannot recommend-"

"Shut up, Peterson," President Nixon barked. "Alright," he agreed.

"Five minutes," Canton nodded.

The Doctor sat upright at the desk as the guns were slowly lowered from the five travelers. "I'm going to need a SWAT team ready to mobilize, street to street maps covering all of Florida, a cup of coffee, twelve Jammy Dodgers, and a fez," he instructed in all seriousness.

"Get him his maps," Canton ordered, the Doctor's face falling slightly once he realized he wasn't getting his fez.

As the agents dispersed to gather the maps, Rose inconspicuously slid beside the TARDIS. Slipping a communicator into her ear, she pressed a button on it and waited anxiously for the call to go through. She breathed a sigh of relief as a familiar voice came over the line.

_"I'm in FBI Headquarters now,"_ Jack whispered.


End file.
